SYSTEM WITH AERATION, SEDIMENTATION AND FILTERING FOR THE IMPROVING OF WATER QUALITY IN DRIP IRRIGATION

Water quality is very important to drip irrigation, as it flows in small diameter holes, and may cause obstruction due to deposition of solid matter. Whence the water must be evaluated before installation of the project. Parameters related to water quality are essential to define conducting measures to avoid the risk of clogging the system. This study aimed to evaluate a system with sprinklers aeration on bedrock, for Fe+2 and Mn total precipitation in sedimentation tank and a set of filtering consisting of three sand filters and a disk, installed in drip irrigation system. The study was conducted at Alvorada Farm, in the municipality of Nova Granada - SP, Brazil, from March to October of 2008, when the physical and chemical water analyses were made. It was concluded that: the aeration system, sedimentation and filtration were efficient for improving water quality, reducing the levels of risk of severe to medium obstruction and medium to low obstruction. The variables, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity; pH, Fe+2 and Fe+3 were not significant to indicate differences of water quality among the points of the water treatment. However, the variables such as: turbidity, dissolved solids, suspended solids, total iron and Mn+2 were statistically significant for the differentiation of the water quality.